Song of the Moment: Hail Hail

[harmless]

The mastering levels of 'Sometimes' and 'Hail Hail' don't match, as someone has mentioned. This is the sort of thing RM would be mercilessly complaining about if it happened now, but because these are both top-drawer songs nobody is that bothered.

That's actually the opposite of what we complain about when it comes to more modern mastering habits.

Oh, yeah that makes sense; a lack of dynamics. I was thinking of the abrasiveness of the intro. S/T was kind of like that X10 throughout the record.

Sure, Pearl Jam has never been on the right side of the Loudness Wars. From a very strict, technical standpoint, songs like Hail Hail are probably mastered just a bit hotter than they really need to be. But at the same time, it's not so over modulated that very audible clipping and listening fatigue occurs.

Yup, I never tire of listening to No Code but I can hardly sit through S/T.

[BurtReynolds]

5000 stars

[Vindicator]

A 4/5 for me. A great song. Such a hard sound, and as someone said, it can freak you out over the headphones if you aren't ready. I also find it to be a weird song with a strange dissonant sound , one that most of my casual friends don't like, but it's that Pearl Jam sound that grows on you after awhile.

Also ,am I the only one that begs for a solo on this song? Like after the first chorus , similar to All Night, I just want the song to unleash but it never does. It was probably a stylistic choice but I'm just a sucker for solos. It's why Brain of J ranks above Hail Hail for me.

[Norah]

Also ,am I the only one that begs for a solo on this song?

Yes.

[Vindicator]

Also ,am I the only one that begs for a solo on this song?

Yes.

Yup, figured that would be the response.

[stupidmop]

Ok this song is amazing. The chorus riff is choppy heaven (with every chord change I see a table and hands slapping down dog-eared Polaroids of the relationship in a brushing game of snap) with the lyrics sublime.

But it's the bridge. The feminine voice cutting through the maelstrom (before it is perfected by the end of bridge guitar) is breathtaking. Male and female together, bandaged hand in hand.

There's a female voice on this? Or are you saying ed sounds feminine?

[Juvenal]

Ok this song is amazing. The chorus riff is choppy heaven (with every chord change I see a table and hands slapping down dog-eared Polaroids of the relationship in a brushing game of snap) with the lyrics sublime.

But it's the bridge. The feminine voice cutting through the maelstrom (before it is perfected by the end of bridge guitar) is breathtaking. Male and female together, bandaged hand in hand.

There's a female voice on this? Or are you saying ed sounds feminine?

Female POV in the bridge.

[evenslow]

5 stars

[stupidmop]

Ok this song is amazing. The chorus riff is choppy heaven (with every chord change I see a table and hands slapping down dog-eared Polaroids of the relationship in a brushing game of snap) with the lyrics sublime.

But it's the bridge. The feminine voice cutting through the maelstrom (before it is perfected by the end of bridge guitar) is breathtaking. Male and female together, bandaged hand in hand.

There's a female voice on this? Or are you saying ed sounds feminine?

Female POV in the bridge.

Huh, never thought of it as a female POV.

[Juvenal]

Ok this song is amazing. The chorus riff is choppy heaven (with every chord change I see a table and hands slapping down dog-eared Polaroids of the relationship in a brushing game of snap) with the lyrics sublime.

But it's the bridge. The feminine voice cutting through the maelstrom (before it is perfected by the end of bridge guitar) is breathtaking. Male and female together, bandaged hand in hand.

There's a female voice on this? Or are you saying ed sounds feminine?

Female POV in the bridge.

Huh, never thought of it as a female POV.

Well in most live performances he changes the "are you woman enough to be my man" to "am I..." so he's maybe ditched that interpretation.

[EJ]

5 stars

[stupidmop]

Ok this song is amazing. The chorus riff is choppy heaven (with every chord change I see a table and hands slapping down dog-eared Polaroids of the relationship in a brushing game of snap) with the lyrics sublime.

But it's the bridge. The feminine voice cutting through the maelstrom (before it is perfected by the end of bridge guitar) is breathtaking. Male and female together, bandaged hand in hand.

There's a female voice on this? Or are you saying ed sounds feminine?

Female POV in the bridge.

Huh, never thought of it as a female POV.

Well in most live performances he changes the "are you woman enough to be my man" to "am I..." so he's maybe ditched that interpretation.

That's cool, i've never noticed lol. I thought it was a 'are you strong enough to be the person i can lean on' kinda thing.

[harmless]

I think it's deliberately ambiguous, gender-wise. One of Ed's more interesting lines.

[stupidmop]

I thought the song mentioned a 'she' or something but looking at it now, i realise I only assumed the song was from a male perspective in the first place cause i assumed it was about ed from the get go lol.

[its_not_1974]

It's perfect. One of the PJ songs where the quality of the music/vocals/lyrics all lift each other.

[LetMeSleep]

I think it's deliberately ambiguous, gender-wise. One of Ed's more interesting lines.

I always took it as we're both here in the same place. We're both the same in this ride. And in a marriage/relationship, gender becomes irrelevant as both parties play every role (excluding sex in most cases). The line is brilliant and so much more powerful and effective than are you prepared to show your feminine side. It's asking are you prepared to strip everything back to your core and be the 100% essence of you.

Then there's the whole relationship collapsing aspect of two people experiencing their world imploding. No one else is experiencing this and in that, we have something in common.

Excuse the rambling as I'm at work and this isn't thought out.

[Mine]

I think it's deliberately ambiguous, gender-wise. One of Ed's more interesting lines.

I think you're right even the way is performed and the music around it seems to accentuate that.
I wish Ed was being a dictator for at least one more album when I think about No Code
I love the way all those ideas from the whole band turned into the albums that Vitalogy and No Code are under Ed's control.

[stip]

those are night and day records for me.

[stupidmop]

I think it's deliberately ambiguous, gender-wise. One of Ed's more interesting lines.

I think you're right even the way is performed and the music around it seems to accentuate that.
I wish Ed was being a dictator for at least one more album when I think about No Code
I love the way all those ideas from the whole band turned into the albums that Vitalogy and No Code are under Ed's control.

I always wish he had done a solo album or something round then. I guess we've got merkinball and dead man.

[harmless]

I think it's deliberately ambiguous, gender-wise. One of Ed's more interesting lines.

I think you're right even the way is performed and the music around it seems to accentuate that.
I wish Ed was being a dictator for at least one more album when I think about No Code
I love the way all those ideas from the whole band turned into the albums that Vitalogy and No Code are under Ed's control.

Well, you have Backspacer and Lightning Bolt.